U.S. stocks seen with cautious gains ahead of payrolls

CBS.MarketWatch.com

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- U.S. stocks were expected to push cautiously higher in the looming week, as investors put fresh cash to work at the start of the fourth quarter, but the five-day outcome will depend on reaction to Friday's September unemployment report, strategists said. See full story.

Stable oil market essential, IMF panel says

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- A stable oil market without speculative price increases is essential for global growth, the IMF's policy-making arm said Saturday. See full story.

Due Diligence: Merck's ills go beyond Vioxx recall

BOSTON (CBS.MW) -- While the recent recall of its popular drug Vioxx caught many Merck investors by surprise, the treatment's demise is just one of several ills plaguing the pharmaceutical giant. See full story.

Marshall Loeb: 10 global trends to ponder

Robert Dilenschneider's latest Trends Letter lays out 10 disturbing paths that current events are traveling along.; See full story.

Futures Movers: Crude closes above $50 a barrel for the first time ever

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Crude futures closed above the key $50 level for the first time ever Friday, marking a gain of almost 3 percent for the week as traders continue to eye changes to global production and supplies. See full story.

David Callaway: Oil question hangs over foreign policy debate

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Sludgefest 2004 enters its final round Thursday night with President Bush and Sen. John Kerry ready to sling mud, eat bugs, and do anything short of holding their debate in Iraq to prove their toughness to a "Fear Factor"-obsessed nation. See full story.

Vital Signs: Small firms face daunting hunt for health plans

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- In a bind all too familiar to small business owners, Nathan Rotz can't find health insurance that would let him cut rapidly rising costs yet preserve the robust benefits he currently offers his employees. See full story.

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